NBA Draft Lottery odds, explained: Updated chances for every team to win A.J. Dybantsa sweepstakes

While the NBA Draft lottery is exciting every year, the 2026 version is taking on another level of importance.

All year long, teams seemed to tank in order to give themselves every chance possible to earn a top pick. This year's draft class is not only headlined by A.J. Dybantsa, but also features potential stars like Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer, Caleb Wilson and Darius Acuff.

As a result, the lottery could alter the futures of several franchises by giving them the chance to select one of these highly touted prospects. In fact, the NBA is changing the lottery format next year because of how much tanking the league saw this season.

Here's a breakdown of the 2026 NBA Draft lottery and which teams have the best odds entering Sunday.

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How does the NBA Draft Lottery work?

The 14 teams who missed the NBA playoffs will participate in a weighted lottery to determine who earns each of the top four picks. Each team's chance of earning a top pick depends on its record in the regular season, with the worst teams earning the best odds.

There will be four draws during the lottery to determine picks 1-4, starting with a draw for the first pick, then one for the second pick, then the third pick and, lastly, the fourth pick/

Throughout NBA history, there have been many variations of the draft lottery, and it will change once again next year to combat tanking.

NBA Draft Lottery rules

The lottery draw features 14 ping-pong balls numbered 1-14, and each draw will include four different lottery balls. There are 1,001 different combinations overall, with 1,000 of them belong to teams.

Each draw will be reset to include all 14 ping-pong balls. The team with the corresponding four-number combination will win that draw and pick first, second, third or fourth. If a team wins another draw after already winning one earlier, the draw will be redone.

The teams who don't win any of the four draws will be slotted into picks 5-14 in reverse record order. Finally, the 16 playoff teams will pick between selections 15-30 in reverse record order as well.

The lottery draws will occur backstage, as Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum will reveal the draft order live on stage in reverse order.

NBA Draft Lottery odds 2026

The Wizards, Pacers and Nets had the three worst records in the NBA during the regular season so they get the three best chances to earn the top pick. Additionally, there are two playoff teams who have a chance to win the lottery, as the Thunder and Hawks both own picks that previously belonged to teams who missed the playoffs.

Here's a look at the full odds for the 2026 NBA Draft lottery.

*If pick falls between 5 and 9, Clippers get selection*

**If pick falls outside of top 8, Thunder get selection**